Spring-gun.



No. 675,534. Patented Juno 4, I90l.

W. A. WILKINS.

SPRING GUN.

(Application filed Oct. 6, 1899.)

(Ho Model.)

Urri'rnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lVILLIE A. VILKINS, OF DURANGO, TEXAS.

SPRING-GUN.

;nIECIlATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,534, dated J'une 4, 1901.

Application fiied October 8,181119. serial Na. 782,881. (NO model.)

T0 (LZZ who/;L it may conccrn:

Be it known that I, WILLIE A. WILKINs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Dnrango, in the county of Falls and State of Texas, have invented an Improvement in Catapults, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to catapults; and it has for one object to provide a cheap and simple device of this nature wherein the projectile will be held in such manner as not to interfere with sighting the catapnlt and wherein the elastic bands from which the energy is derived will be held in place in such manner as will prevent their accidental displacement and will yet permit of ready removal when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide means foi` preventing striking of the hand of the operator when the weapon is discharged, and also to provide a simple and efficient lock niechanism.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following description.

In the drawings forining a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the catagult, a portion of the stock being broken away to show the lock mechanism. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 8 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the present catapnlt consists of a barrel portion 5 and a stock port-ion G. Secnred over the forward end of the barrcl 5 and set flush with the uppersurface thereof is a yoke-shaped plate, including a web portion 8, which lies transversely of the upper face of the barrel at its forward end, and depending arms 9 and 10, which extend below the lower surface of the barrel, and in which depending arms are formed alining slots 11 and 12, which are forined in a direction transverse of the barrel and to which arms the elastics 13 and 14 are attached. The elastics are connected with the arms by doubling the ends thereof and passing the bights ontwardly through the slots 11 and 12, pins 13' and 14' being engaged with the bights, after which the elastics are drawn inwardly to cause the pins to lie closely against the outer faces of the arms and clamp the elastics against displacement from the pins, the hands being drawn rearwardly around the corners of the arms at the rear sides of the slots to set up snfficient friction to prevent that strain upon the hands as would draw them from the pins. At the rear ends of the bands is connected a bag 15 by means of cords 16 and 17, which bag is adapted to receive the projectile.

To hold the bag retracted with the elastics under tension and to release the bag at the proper time, a lock mechanism is provided. This lock mechanism consists of a keeper or latch 18, which is pivoted in a slot formed vertioally through the stock of the catapult and the lower end of which projects through the bottom of the stock, this projecting portion being bifurcated to form prongs 19 and 20, which lie in a plane transverse to the stock and are adagted to hold the bag 15 retracted and without engaging the projectile held by the bag, said projectile lying between the prongs, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

To hold the keeper 18 with its lower end projected into position for engagement with the bag, a sear 21 is provided, this sear being pivoted in" the upper portion of the slot of the stock in such position that its forward end may be depressed to lie behind the upper end of the keeper, the sear being held yieldably in this position by means of a helical spring 22, which is disposed between its rear end and the bottom of the slot in which it is placed. Itwill be noted that the slot of the stock that contains the lock mechanism is continned through the stock at its forward and rearportions, while its intermediate portion extends only part way through the stock, and it is against the bottom of this intermediate portion that the helical spring is disposed.

The rcar end of the sear is reduced in height, and engaged therewith is a trigger 24-, which is pivoted in the rcar portion of the slot, the lower end of the trigger being extended through the slot to project from the bottom thereof, so that it may be grasped to be operated to move the sear. The upper end of the trigger has a laterally-extending notch 26, in which the rear end of the sear is engaged, and when the trigger is rocked with.

IOO

its upper end forwardly on its pivot the trigger acts to depress the rear end of the sear and raise the front end thereof from behind the keeper, when the tension of the elastics moves the keeper pivotally to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the bag is released. Vhen the bag is again drawn rearwardly, the keeper is moved With its lower end rearwardly, and when its upper end has engaged the sear it moves the latter upwardly until it has passed beyond its for- Ward end, when the sear snaps down behind the keeper and holds it in its operative position.

In order that the bag and the missile carried thereby may not strike the hand of the operator, a combined hand rest and guard is provided. This consists of two plates 28 and 29, which are secured to the side faces of the barrel 5 just in advance of the stock and between which the elasties lie when the bag is retracted. A bottorn piece 30 is hinged to one of these plates and extends transversely of the barrel to rest against the lower edge of the opposite plate, so that the elastics are eneircled, and the 'bag When released passes through the inclosurc of the plates, the hand being thus protected from being strnck.

lt will be understood that in practice Various modifications of the specific construction shown may be made and that any suitable materials and proportions may be used for t-he various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

That is claiined is- 1. A catapult comprising a stock and barrel, an elastic sling connected with and located wholly below the barrel, a lock mechanism for holding the sling under tension and for releasingit, and a guard including spaced side pieces and a bottom piece adapted for movement into and out of position to bridge the interspace between the side pieces, said guard being disposed to encircle the sling and eXpose the sling at both sides of the guard When the sling is under tension.

2. A catapnlt comprisin ga barrel and stock, arms depending from the forward portion of the barrcl and having slots alining trans- Versely of the barrel, a sling comprising elastics having bights at their ends passed through the slots, pins engaged with the bights beyond the plates, and a lock mechanism for holding the sling under tension and for releasing it.

3. A catapultcomprisingabarrel and stock, the lattei` having a Vertical slot, a keeper piV- oted in the slot and adapted to project below the stock, a spring-pressed sear disposed for engagement behind the upper end of the fkeeper, a pivoted trigger engaged with the sear to move it to release the keeper, and an elastic sling connected with the barrel, and adapted for engagement with the keeper.

' XV. A. WILKINS.

Fitnessesz w J. W. VVIBLE, J. W. LoYD. 

